The witch is dead: Nancy Grace leaves Dancing with the Stars one day after sniping in rehearsal

Too bad TV harpie Nancy Grace didn't follow my advice from last week -- she'd likely be waving goodbye to Rob Kardashian as he heads off to help his sister choose another NBA star for her next quickie marriage/broadcast rights opportunity.

Instead, Grace showed her prickly side again in rehearsal footage aired Monday -- "joking" with partner Tristan MacManus that he couldn't possibly be more tired than her, since she has another full-time job and twin babies (if you ask me, putting up with her more than outweighs all that stuff, combined).

Rumors are flying among fans that Grace is tired of the show's grind and was ready to leave last week. Who could blame her -- thanks to Monday's live show, she had to pass up gloating over the guilty verdict against Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray during HLN's prime time coverage, delivering a dance which prompted head judge Len Goodman to declare "it's midnight, and its time to go home."

Simply put, too much of Grace's abrasive side showed during the contest, from railing at pro partner MacManus to slipping out of her gown during one dance and letting gas pass audibly in the interview segment after another. Instead of providing the redemption story Dancing fans crave, Grace seemed to get uglier every week, ensuring that judges would stop covering for her lackluster dancing and send her packing.

Talk queen Ricki Lake, losing weight and turning in great performances, seems to be mobilizing more fans, headed toward a dance off with relentlessly optimistic burn victim J.R. Martinez.

Oh well, at least the satisfaction of watching Grace forced to be nice to MacManus in her exit interviews made up for a day which included Herman Cain's bewilderingly awful press conference and the slow death of Penn State coach Joe Paterno's career.